Guest Reviews

Tandjung Sari: "Feeling like a movie star in a book of Hemmingway"

The design, location and the architecture of Tandjung Sari is breathtaking, indulging you in to a mystical atmosphere and a feeling of being a movie star in another world. Each room has a sensual romantic air which captures you immediately. The wonderful staff and delicate food is just do make your stay un forgettable and a urging feeling to come back.

Villa Mathis: "Luxe calme et volupté"

"Un moment inoubliable pendant nos vacances. Très bon service .au calme à 10mns de seminyak. Beaucoup de petits restaurants sympa à l extérieur de l hôtel. Très grand confort beaucoup de charme et très au calme . Vous pouvez rejoindre la plage de petitenget à pied par les rizières en 10mns. Un must. Je vous le recommande vivement . Vous vivrez une étape au paradis Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

The River Resort: "The best of the best"

This is a great resort. My wife and I travel a bit and this was is the finest place we have stayed. We were there for 2 nights. Fantastic views from our room of the Mekong and while having meals. The reception arranged for a nice tuk tuk driver to take us to the nearby ruins of Champasak and to Champasak to have lunch on the river and to see the early 20th century 'palace' for the king of Champasak. The food at the hotel and the staff are great. We arrived at the Pakse bus terminal and a vehicle from the resort was there pick us up. We hope to return here, just to relax.

The Governor’s House: "Highly recommended"

I had a great stay at Governors House. The staff were warm and accommodating without being overbearing; the property and rooms were perfectly curated and cozy; and the grounds were absolutely lovely. I stayed in GH as a respite prior to a few weeks of intense work, during which I was lodged at a bigger international chain hotel that - although more 'luxury' - didn't have the charm or the homeyness of this property. I'd highly recommend it for travelers looking for a more stylish, and more personal, lodging experience in Phnom Penh.

The Cabochon Hotel: "Quiet and close to everything"

We stayed recently for three nights and had a wonderful stay. This property is just off Sukhumvit Rd but very quiet and peaceful. Beautifully decorated property with eclectic pieces throughout. Our room was small but very elegant, filled with scent of lemongrass when we arrived. The bed was very comfortable with beautiful linens. Breakfast is served in the library and bar areas at comfy casual sofas. We couldn't go past the pork skewers, sticky rice and spicy sauce. Great coffee and mandarin juice were also really delicious. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They strike just the right balance between providing great service when needed and leaving you to it the rest of the time. We ate at the restaurant with friends on our last night. The food was amazing and we got to try a few new things. All together, a great stay

Villa Song Saigon: "Loved it"

"We stayed for two nights, it is a peaceful location and the rooms nicely appointed, the bed was supportive which made for a restful night. The breakfasts were from a menu I had the pho which was very tasty. The evening meals are more western than Vietnamese and beautifully presented and tasty. Being picky, I'd prefer a greater focus on Vietnamese flavours A lovely hotel out of the chaos associated with the central city. The regular boat into city was convenient and when you returned from the city the peaceful atmosphere of the hotel is reinforced."

Rak Ko Jae Seoul: "Serene"

Stayed for 3 nights and could not have enjoyed it more. Very authentic, traditional, historical, without being tacky or touristy, maintained and run to a T. Very central, yet, once you are on the premises, it feels like you are in a literati's cabin somewhere remote. Special thanks and credit to Sung Won Kim, who manages the place, for his professionalism, hospitality, and great recommendations on Seoul hikes. Would love to come back.

The Village House: "Mr and Mrs Smith style boutique hotel"

"Myself and a friend stayed at The Village House for one night a couple of weeks ago, and we both left saying that we could have stayed for much longer. If I go back to Borneo I intend to stay there for at least a week! The room was lovely and clean, modern, unpretentious and very comfortable. The bathroom was big, with a powerful shower. It was quiet and felt safe and secure. The hotel has a lovely pool, which has lots of nice plants and trees around it that give it a great deal of character. The restaurant and 'bar' area is around the pool, we ate both lunch and supper at the hotel as there is nowhere else around (I believe the closest restaurant is a 5km drive away), but eating at the hotel was the best decision anyway, as their food is some of the best we had over the course of the trip, which is high praise in Malaysia! The beach is about 2 minutes away from the hotel on foot, it is huge and quite striking with lots of trees and deadwood on the beach. The sea was extremely warm, it is quite shallow for a long way out, so perhaps not the best if you want a real dip. Sadly I was attacked by a jelly fish so my swim was abruptly ended. According to the hotel they are not that rare, but not dangerous, perhaps not the best place from swimming though! Overall I found it comfortable, the staff were lovely and helpful, and I would highly recommend its restaurant. If you are looking for somewhere with lots of bars and restaurants, however, this is not the area for you!"

MesaStila: "One of a kind experience"

"We stayed at MesaStila from 10/2/17-10/9/17. We had a wonderful experience. The property is truly magical. When we arrived, the coffee trees were blooming white, fragrant flowers. The property is wonderful, mixing reclaimed old Javanese homes with old Dutch colonial buildings. Here are some notes for fellow travelers: Weather: We were worried about the weather (beginning of rainy season). However, apparently, we were lucky with weather for this time of year. We stayed a total of about 7 days. Most days, it was sunny. Some of the days, it only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes at night. One day, it rained in the afternoon. The first few days it was in the 70s Fahrenheit. Other days, it got warmer but not unbearable. Maybe the 80s or low 90s Fahrenheit. It was truly the best weather we could have wanted. Room: We stayed in the Arum Villa. I would totally recommend it. There is a beautiful red dividing wall with carvings. The huge balcony overlooks the coffee trees. The bathroom has a big blue tile tub with doors that you open, so it's kind of like an open-air shower. There was a little walkway with a fountain and trees leading to our room. We were very happy with our villa. It felt private and like we were ""somewhere else."" Excursions: Some days we spent at the resort, which we recommend. At the resort, there is a beautiful pool, yoga classes, gamelan (music) performance, Javanese dance performance, fantastic spa, croquet, and walks through the coffee trees. We also did excursions. Here are some notes on the excursions: First, we went on the Borobodur Temple sunrise tour. We enjoyed it. It was a cloudy morning, which impacted the sunrise. The resort hires a tour guide, which was very helpful in learning about the temple. You also got to see other smaller temples in the area, drink luwak coffee at a local luwak coffee roaster, and visit a local family's traditional home. We also opted for the elephant ride. We enjoyed it, but it didn't make the excursion for us. Second, we did the bicycle ride that takes you through the rice paddies, to royal baths, and an option of a local waterfall. This was my boyfriend's favorite thing that we did in all of Indonesia. You need to be a little bit athletic to enjoy the bicycle ride, because you're literally biking on a few-inch-wide path between rice paddies. The rice paddies were beautifully tiered and green with the volcano/mountains in the background. Third, we went to the Pramaban Temple and Ramayana Ballet. This was my favorite excursion. It's a long drive (about 3 hours), but you get to go to the temple, a really cool, delicious restaurant, and the Ramayana Ballet. The restaurant was this dark lit, exotic restaurant with truly great food. The ballet was performed with the temple in the background and featured traditional dances and costumes. We went on a night with a full moon and it was really cool. Fourth, we went to the local railroad station museum. You get to see old colonial trains and station houses. You also get to go on a train ride through rice paddies on an old train. This was probably our least favorite excursion, but the others were so great that it's more of a perspective issue than anything negative about the old railway station museum. Also, we highly recommend the MesaStila spa. They truly make you feel special. Food/Drinks: From our experience, we basically relied upon MesaStila for our meals. We didn't have a rental car (driving there is craziness) and you're surrounded but very small villages, so MesaStila is the ""only restaurant in town,"" if you will. The breakfast buffet is amazing. We were very happy with cocktails and drinks. You must try the gin and tonic with spices and the mojito with brown sugar. The soups, fried rice, fried noodles, and tuna appetizer were also very good. Service: The staff were very lovely. Thanks so much to Lily (reception) and Deni (driver/tour guide)!!! Central Java Overall: We were enchanted by Indonesia. The people are so friendly. You see volcanoes, mountains, tiered green rice paddies, coconut and banana trees, lizards running everywhere, and ancient temples. Between the people and the landscape, the country is a wonderful way to spend a vacation."

Rachamankha: "Classic gem if you are into classics"

"Positives: extra comfortable bedding, in a quiet and nice alley away from busy traffic, professional and helpful staff, pool having the cleanest water I have seen (reminds me of Pissin Molitor in The Life of Pi), lush and immaculate landscaping, included breakfast is delicious, and delicately prepared. Negatives: internet works only half the time, limiting my ability to upload photos and book tours for the next days; room door, bathroom door and shower door are all narrow or half openable, really inconvenient."